Title: Basic yogurt cheese
Categories: None
Yield: 1 Servings
16 oz Nonfat plain yogurt
Coffee filters
lg Colander (the larger the
-better)
Line a large colander with coffee machine filters. Place the yogurt
into the filters, spreading over as large an area as possible. Place
colander over a large dish to drain for 24 hours. (refrigerate) The
watery whey will drain out of the yogurt, leaving a cheeselike
substance similar in consistency to cream cheese. The longer the
yogurt drains, the firmer it will become as more whey drains out.
(Although many people drain it only for 24 hours, I like to start
early and let it drain a little longer for firmer consistency.) And
though it's not essential, I think I get better results if I replace
the coffee filters once or twice during the process (the yogurt will
be becoming drier and firmer and is usually easy for me to remove it
from one filter to the next. If you choose to do this, you will
notice less and less whey draining out each time as the yogurt
becomes "cheese". This method is easy for me since I have the items
on hand and I like it better than using cheesecloth. Some people
really love the yogurt funnels that you can buy at many culinary
cookshops.
Plain yogurt cheese is 12 calories per tablespoon and has no fat.
Yogurt cheese may be used as a substitute in cheese balls, spreads,
dips, cheesecakes, etc. It is a good alternative to any of the
following: ricotta cheese, sour cream, cream cheese or mayonnaise.